Before reading this page please consult the British Passports in South Asia page, which gives an overview of our operation, in particular our focus on preventing attempted passport fraud.

Where can I apply?

Passport applications are accepted at the following locations:

British High Commission, New Delhi
British Deputy High Commission, Mumbai
British Deputy High Commission, Chennai 
British Deputy High Commission, Kolkata
British Tourist Assistance Office, Goa

Can I send my application in by post?

Yes.

If you live in East, South or North India, you will need to send your passport application to our office in New Delhi. If you live in Western India and Goa, you will need to send your passport application to our office in Mumbai. We strongly recommend using secure registered/courier service for sending the application forms and relevant documents.

For all postal applications we can only accept payment by demand draft or by credit card. Please do not include cash with the application. The Demand Draft should be in favour of 'British High Commission' for applications forwarded to Delhi. For Mumbai applications the Demand Draft should be in favour of 'British Deputy High Commission'. The drafts should be payable at Delhi and Mumbai respectively.

What forms do I need to fill in?

You will need to fill in the following forms.

What photos do I need?

You will need to provide two identical passport photographs that meet the standards set out.

What supporting documents do I need?

We request a range of different documents depending on the type of passport application. Further details are listed here. If invited for interview you may be asked to produce more documents.

Will I be called for interview?

Our specialist teams will carry out an initial assessment of your application, including checking the integrity of the documentation submitted, after which it will be decided whether or not we will need to call you for interview. We will get in touch as soon as this decision is made.

How much will it cost?

Click on the current fees to find out the fees in local currency.

Please be aware that fees are non-refundable even if your application is unsuccessful.

How can I pay?

You can pay in the following ways:

• You can pay by cash in person
• You can pay by credit card
• You can pay by a Bank Draft, (made payable to "British High Commission" (for applications from North and South India), "British Deputy High Commission Mumbai" (for applications from West India) or "British Deputy High Commission Kolkata" (for applications from East India). An additional fee of Rs 150 is payable if the passport is to be sent by post.)

Please note this may be subject to change.

How long will it take to get my passport?

Renewals of exisiting passports usually take around 10 working days (not including postage time). However first time applications can take ten weeks or more to process.

You should not make any travel arrangements until the new passport is received and we cannot be held responsible for costs incurred as a result of disrupted travel plans.

How do I keep in touch about the progress of my application?

We will let you know when your passport is ready for collection. Please note that due to the need for our staff to focus on core assessment task we will only respond to queries on applications that our office have had for more than ten working days.

What should I do my passport has been lost or stolen and I need to travel urgently?

Please see the information on our Lost, stolen passports.

Anything else I should know?

Frequently Asked Questions